


A Comforting Effect

by HeartsFate



Category: Descendants (2015)
Genre: Carlos needs to be protected at all cost, F/M, It's really more Evie/Carlos if you squint, Nightmares are the worst, Or you can think of it as the very very beginning of their relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-10
Updated: 2017-05-10
Packaged: 2018-10-30 11:32:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10875906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeartsFate/pseuds/HeartsFate
Summary: Fairy Godmother's assignment sends Mal and Jay away for two weeks, leaving Carlos in Evie's care.





	A Comforting Effect

They all thought it was a joke at first. None of them had taken Fairy Godmother seriously when she had told them she had a special summer assignment in mind for them. They had all been wary, not sure what she had planned for them. They had saved Auradon from Maleficent, the wicked fairy trapped in a well secured chamber in the library. They were heroes and yet they were still perceived as nothing more than the children of villains

“This will help show the people that you are more than shadows of your parents,” Fairy Godmother grinned.

Jay frowned, “didn’t we already prove ourselves when we went up against Maleficent?”

“Yeah,” Carlos agreed, “isn’t that...isn’t that enough?” 

Fairy Godmother smiled sadly, “I wish it was that simple children.”

She had made arrangements for them to stay with the very people their parents had tormented all those years ago. It was a little project she planned to continue using if all went well should more villian kids arrive in the future. Small steps, she had said. 

Fairy Godmother sent Jay and Mal off first. Mal was only the slightest bit tense when Aurora arrived to take her and Audrey back to her castle. The blonde haired princess only gave her the friendliest smile in greeting as Audrey tried her best to reassure Mal everything would be fine. Mal offered Aurora a small smile before allowing herself to be taken to their car. 

Jay was more cautious. Unlike Mal, he had never met Aladdin before. Evie and Carlos knew he was scared despite not saying a word as Aladdin and Jasmine arrived. He stood behind the pair with his arms crossed tightly, his eyes never leaving the older man as he stopped to speak to Fairy Godmother. No one said a word if it seemed as though Jay was using the pair as a shield of sorts. 

“He’s not going to bite you,” Evie whispered, her hand reaching back to ease his apart in order to take his hand in hers. 

Jay sighed, looking away from the man for the first time since he arrived in favor of her. She hoped her eyes expressed how proud of him she was and how she wanted nothing more than to take all his anxiety away. He relaxed after that, giving her hand a squeeze and tossing a grin at Carlos when the shorter boy clapped a reassuring hand on his shoulder. 

“Jay,” Fairy Godmother waved him over. 

Jay took a deep breath, eyeing Aladdin once more. The older man looked just as nervous, it caused a great weight to lift from his shoulders knowing he wasn’t the only one nervous about the next two weeks. 

With a few quick hugs and goodbyes, Jay was gone. Carlos and Evie stood on the grand steps of Auradon Prep well after Jay had left. Fairy Godmother had gone back inside was shortly after a few reassuring words.

“They’ll be back before you know it,” she had said, with that massive smile of hers, “Snow White, Roger and Anita are already looking forward to their own time with you. This is for the best, all for the best.” 

Carlos and Evie nodded, thanking her for doing her best for them. It didn’t stop them from being just as afraid as Mal and Jay had been. 

“What do we do now?” Carlos asked.

Evie frowned. She wasn’t sure what they should do. The four had rarely been apart from each other since they had all become friends. It felt odd. Carlos looked worried, the younger boy nervously messing with the end of his black and white leather jacket. Evie put on her best smile, taking his hands in hers.

“We’re going to do our best, that’s what we’re going to do! Mal and Jay are safe. We know Ben wouldn’t have agreed to this if he thought they were in any sort of danger. Let’s face it, with who they are staying with they’re in good hands.”

Carlos nodded, “yeah, yeah you’re right. There’s nothing to worry about.” 

“We’re still together, Carlos. I’m not going anywhere.” 

He nodded again, he looked much more at ease now and less like he was going to jump out of his skin at any given moment. She pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead, giving his hands a another squeeze before tugging him instead.

-X-

It was summer vacation at Auradon Prep and with nowhere else to stay, their stayed at the school with Fairy Godmother and Jane. Evie should have kept a much closer eye on Carlos then she had. For the first few days everything seemed fine. Carlos stayed by her side all day, whether it was sitting across from her as she toyed away in the Chemistry lab or stretched out on her bed as she worked on her latest designs. He never strayed too far. When it was required for him to go to Tourney practice, she was right there on the bleachers watching.

Despite all that it was when night fell that she began to worry. She hadn’t noticed the first few nights, but something was definitely off about the boy. Carlos went off to his dorm room as he always did when either of them grew too tired to try and continue to entertain each other. He always seemed fine about it. 

Then one morning, her normally chipper friend was far too quiet. He accepted the forehead kiss she had taken to giving him every time she saw him, his eyes closed as though she was going to disappear and this was his last chance to relish it. Dark shadows were beginning to appear beneath his eyes as if he wasn’t getting enough sleep. His eyes narrowed and he’d frown whenever one of the other boys would come over to talk to her when they got a reprieve from Tourney practice. She fought the urge to scold him when he’d ‘accidently’ launched the ball at Chad’s head one day.

“Are you feeling alright?” she finally asked, once they were back in the dorms. They were in the boys room this time, Evie having brought over her sewing machine to work while Carlos played his video games. 

“I’m fine,” he answer came far too quick for her liking.

She frowned down at the fabric in her hands, “you don’t seem fine to me.”

Carlos glanced over his shoulder back at her, it was enough to make her look up to see his glare pointed in her direction. It surprised her. Mal and Jay had been at the receiving end of his glare plenty of times because of their constant teasing, but not once had it ever been pointed at her. It felt so different, almost as though he hated her. 

“I said I was fine, Evie,” she flinched at the tone of his voice. His voice clearly letting her know he didn’t want to bothered with anymore questions. 

Evie got the message loud and clear. Carlos turned back to his game and she began to clean up. With her sewing machine in hand, she moved. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Carlos,” it was soft and tense. She hurried out of the room before he tried to say anything.

-X-

Midnight came before she knew it. She couldn’t sleep, not with how tense things had gotten with Carlos that afternoon. It didn’t sit well in Evie’s stomach. She needed to make things right, maybe get an apology without demanding one. She took a deep breath, promising to not yell should the boy still be as moody as he had been.

Evie knocked on the closed door, drawing her blue shawl tighter around herself. She frowned when he didn’t answer. 

“Carlos, I know it’s late but,” she paused, knocking once more before resting her hand against the door, “we need to talk.”

He still didn’t come. She sighed sadly, turning to leave when she heard it. It was low, as though he were trying to hide it. Hurrying back to the door, Evie leaned her ear against it. There it was again. It was muffled, but it was there and it was enough to pull at her heart. 

“Carlos,” she muttered softly, “I’m coming in.” 

She thanked the stars when the door opened with a swift twist, glad he hadn’t decided to lock the door to keep her out. The noise stopped the moment she closed the door behind her, Dude rushing over in greeting. She gave the dog a quick scratch behind the ear before she turned to find Carlos. 

The younger boy lied twisted up in his blankets, sweat dripping from face, eyes red and swollen from crying. She gasped in surprised.

“E,” Carlos’ croaked, his voice a far cry from his chipper tone but he tried to appear normal as he smiled, “how you doing?”

“Oh Carlos,” Evie hurried over to his side, ignoring any complaints when she reached for his face. She wiped at the tears that were still falling, gently wiped away some sweat from his forehead as she moved his hair away. The sweat was gross, she’ll admit silently and only to herself, but she had far pressing matters than the boys bodily fluids, “What’s wrong?”

He opened his mouth to reply but dark eyes narrowed, “if you say nothing Carlos, I swear I’ll turn you into a frog.”

She drew a choked laugh from him and it made her smile, if just a little. Evie waited, his face secure in her hands. They were all still learning, learning to fully put their trust in one another and if that meant to sit in the moonlight with only the their breathing as noise until Carlos was ready; she’d wait.

“I haven’t been getting much sleep lately,” he finally answered, “my nightmares. My nightmares started up again. Mom, she was just so angry. So disappointed that I failed her again. I was back in that rundown house, locked in the trap room. Screaming and crying and begging for her to stop. To let me out,” he paused, his tears beginning to fall once more. He tried to choke back a sob but couldn’t quite hide it. 

Evie’s heart shattered as he spoke. No matter how far away they were, their parents still managed to torture them. She shook her head, wrapping her arms tightly around Carlos and drawing him close. His arms wrapped around her waist instantly, the black and white haired teen burying his face in her shoulder as he cried. 

“Shh, it’s okay. I got you,” she whispered, cooing as she rested her cheek against the top of his head, her hand running soothingly up and down his back. That stayed that way for a while, Carlos clenching tightly to Evie as though she were his lifeline. The blue-haired princess cooing comfortingly into his hair until he calmed down enough to continue. 

“She took Dude,” he started again, his head resting on her shoulder, his warm breath hitting her neck as he spoke. “She was...she threatened to turn him into socks. Then your mom was there, Evie, they all..” he gulped, nuzzling his face against her shoulder, “Maleficent and Jafar appeared. They brought you guys and...and it just got so much worse. They tried...they tried to break us but we stuck together. We fought and we fought...but then she took you away. I couldn’t I tried looking for you but I couldn’t and they just laughed and laughed. They almost.”

He stopped there and she knew he wasn’t going to continue. She didn’t really want him too. His dream sounded horrifying and it explained so much about his strange behavior. 

Evie gently pulled Carlos away from her, the boys’ eyes watery and impossibly red as he stared back at her. He froze when she held him away, his eyes showing just how fearful he was. Afraid that she was going to disappear. She smiled reassuringly, leaning forward and kissing his temple like she always did. 

“I’m just getting comfortable,” she assured him, lying back on his bed, her hair fanning out against his pillows. 

Carlos sniffled, rubbing the back of hand against his nose. Her own nose scrunched up in disgust, but she pushed the feeling away in favor of holding out her arm. Carlos took the invitation instantly, his arms wound tightly around her waist once more. His head finding the crook of her neck. She smiled, peppering kisses to the top of his head. 

“I’m here. Now and forever Carlos. It’s going to take more than our parents to separate us, you got that? I’m not going anywhere.” 

Carlos nodded, faintly tapping against his head to draw Dude’s attention. The dog came quickly, curling up against Evie’s said. Carlos petted him, taking comfort in the warmth surrounding him. He felt sluggish, drained by everything that the last few night had brought him. He mutters something against the girl’s collar bone, giving Evie pause. 

She tried to move as little as possible, glancing down at the boy in her arms. His eyes were close and his hand slowed until it came to rest on Dude’s fur. She smiled sweetly, pressing another kiss to his head. 

“I love you too.”

**Author's Note:**

> I may or may not actually writing a little something about the kids on their little adventures during this time. Maybe if there is enough interest or if my muses want to be nice, which ever comes first. Hope you enjoyed this.


End file.
